You have to be a Pine Point Ski Club member in order to participate in the trip. Exclusively for this trip, we offer a fist timer 3-day membership in a price of $1. Sometimes you have to experience a thing to "get it". White water
rafting in West Virginia is one of those things. There's something about moving
water -- the glassy surface breaking into foam, the way it can sound like
laughter or thunder -- that draws us to it over and over again. Rated two of
the top 10 rivers for rafting in the world, the Gauley River and New River are
truly the best 1 or 2 day rafting trip in the United States. For the third year
in row, we are opening our invite to both, well-seasoned rafters and newbies,
as we're offering 2 two rafting options:

OPTION 1: NEW RIVER - no experience necessary
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXyL3n95E74)
The rapids on the Upper New are perfect for newbies. What you'll find here are
easy waves and bouncy ledges, with just the right amount of splash for the
little rafters. The Upper New River is Mother Nature's own waterpark without
the lines. Play the WHOLE day away and worry about nothing but fun and
relaxation; ACE will take care of the rest. From getting you to and from the
river to blowing up boats to serving lunch, we've got you covered.

OPTION 2: GAULEY RIVER- experience recommended
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ComfEgEjYg0)
ALL day Gauley River Marathon is designed in mind with experienced rafters.
You'll be challenged with 23 mile long river, 70+ rapids (III-V class) ~
including five consecutive MONSTER rapids: Insignificant, Pillow Rock, Lost
Paddle, Iron Ring, and Sweet's Falls. Is it worth it? YOU BET! If you're able
and willing to do your part, you're in for maximum exhilaration. When there's
time to take a look around you, the Gauley River is situated in a beautiful canyon
- lots of rocks, rock walls, cliffs and waterfalls. Don't forget to look back
upstream to see just how far you dropped!

BUS DEPARTURE DETAILS:
The bus will leave from 4850 N Lipps St (at Ainslie Ave), Chicago IL, 60630.
For some reason that address doesn't show up in Yahoo maps. Basically, Lipps is
1 block west of the Lawrence exit off I90. It is just south of the CTA Blue
Line – Jefferson Park stop. The bus will PULL OUT AT 5:30 PM SHARP!!!

The bus is going to pull in at 5:00 PM, so make sure to arrive early to load
the bus and stake out your seat! You will be able to park for free for the
duration of the trip, or get there by Blue Line (Jefferson Park stop) . Yup,
free parking! Here is a map with departure point and available parking:

SCHEDULE:
10/9- Friday: Bus ride to West Virginia. Bus leaves at 5.30 PM sharp. We will
serve dinner on the bus (salad + pizza+ dessert) as soon as we'll get on the
main highway and arrive at the resort before 4AM on Saturday morning.

10/10- Saturday: Group Hiking & trip to the Light House (optional). You can
sleep in and kick the day off with the group breakfast (hot/cold buffet) and
then hike, climb the gorgeous Light House that oversees Summersville Lake and
finish the day off with BBQ dinner.

10/11- Sunday: Multi-sport day & Wine tour/tasting (optional). You can
Climb, Hike, Bike, Explore, Zipline, Paddleboard, Horseride - you name it. We
will also visit a local winery for a some touring & vino tasting. This will
be up to you, whatever activity for the day you choose and if you want to do it
in a group or individually : http://www.aceraft.com/west-virginia-adventure-activities End
the day with hot dinner buffet.

10/12-Monday: Rafting day, yay! 6:00 AM raft departure for Gauley River
(advanced), 10 :00 AM for Upper New (beginner). Early breakfast, hot lunch
served on the river and return to the resort in the late afternoon. Next,
dinner and off to Chicago. It's about 9 hour overnight ride (yes, we guarantee
you'll be sleeping like a baby after spending entire day on the river) and
expected arrival time to the city is by 4AM on Tuesday the 12th. Meaning, if
you are an over achiever, you still can make it to work on Tuesday if you want
to ☺

LODGING:
You asked to be close to nature, and we listened. Lodging is in the rustic
"Bath & Bunkhouse", which is a large cabin with full bath located
in the unit, electricity, ceiling fans and outdoor fire ring. Each bunkhouse sleeps
12 campers on bunk beds with 4-inch camp mattresses. Mattresses are provided
but you'll need your own linens or sleeping bag and pillow.

INCLUDED IN THE TRIP:
• Chicago – West Virginia round trip on the bus (bus equipped in
AC/entertainment system/bathroom)
• Bottled water and some snacks on the bus rides
• Guided, all day rafting on Monday and hot lunch lunch on the river
• Group lodging
• Breakfasts and dinners during entire stay

WHAT TO BRING:
• Awesome attitude and your hidden ACE-ventura
• Some cash or food and snacks for lunches (there are 2 delicious bars/food
joints on the ACE property: Lost Paddle Lounge & Woody's Lakeside
Smokehouse)
• Sleeping bag & pillow for your cabin
• Swimsuit/Sunscreen/Mosquito repellent
• Clothing for ALL kinds of weather: be prepared for Mother Nature!
• Your favorite beverages
• A h-angry item (Mountain Dew, cigar, candy bar, etc.) something to zap you
out of a bad mood ☺
• Please be advised that additional activities (apart from white water rafting
and hiking) are not included in the price

WHAT TO WEAR/BRING ON RAFTING DAY: In warm weather, you won't need more than a swimsuit, sneakers and a hat. You
might bring a light windbreaker in case of rain. In cool weather, wear wool or
synthetic clothing...these will keep you warm when they're wet. Cotton WILL NOT
keep you warm when it's wet! ACE provides all your river safety equipment,
including dry/wet suit rental. In addition to bringing your river clothes, you
may want to bring a hat, sunscreen, old sneakers for the river, sunglasses,
etc. You'll need a change of clothes for after the trip, dry shoes, shampoo,
towel, etc. Whatever you bring on the river WILL get wet! Do not take anything
on the river that you do not want to lose! Check out ACE’s video on safety HERE.

METHOD OF PAYMENT:
Payment is due at the time of RSVP. We recommend paying by check, written to
Pine Point Ski Club and sent here. If paying by paypal, please add $10 convenience fee and send your payment to
"dukesno2 AT hotmail.com" or simply
swing by one of our events.

IT'S SOONER THAN YOU THINK!

Believe it or not, this trip is only few months away! Therefore, we highly recommend payment at the time of RSVP, and I will be contacting you right away after you sign up, with information about making your payment and seeing if you have any additional questions. Once we get closer to the departure date we will e-mail you more details regarding logistics and trip itinerary.

For more questions send e-mail to Magdalena @ "mcdzica AT gmail.com"

If you like what you see, please share this trip to your friends via Facebook or Meetup. We are looking forward to having you on the trip!